


An Absent Friend

by shadowsamurai



Series: The Detective and The Landlady [1]
Category: Sherlock Holmes (1984 TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-20
Updated: 2012-06-20
Packaged: 2017-11-08 04:24:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/439119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowsamurai/pseuds/shadowsamurai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Holmes is feeling somewhat melancholy as Watson is away, but Mrs Hudson is on-hand to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Absent Friend

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' (Jeremy Brett version).
> 
> There's a point in the episode where Holmes is staring out of the window and it looks, to me, like he's either been crying or is about to. I know it was a particularly difficult time for Brett, so perhaps that is what we're seeing. Anyway, I decided it would be nice to bring Mrs Hudson into it and this is what the muse came up with.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I'm just borrowing things for a while and I promise I'll put everything back exactly how I found it when I've finished. Well, almost exactly how I found it. ;)

 

SH-SH-SH-SH-SH-SH

Mrs Hudson paused outside the door and listened. Inside the room it was as a quiet as a grace, and with some trepidation, she knocked. No answer. But instead of turning and walking back downstairs, she balanced the tray on one arm and opened the door carefully with her free hand.

Holmes was stood at the window, staring down into the street intently, but Mrs Hudson had the feeling his gaze was unseeing. Taking a deep breath, she went in and set the tray down on the table.

"Dinner, Mr Holmes," she announced brusquely.

"Mrs Hudson, if I had wanted dinner, I would have asked for," Holmes replied in a dismissive tone.

"You have to eat. Starving yourself won't help anyone."

Holmes turned briefly. "Mrs Hudson, please go away."

But the landlady had seen his eyes glittering uncharacteristically with unshed tears and she knew she could not leave him in the state he was in. "Dr Watson will be back soon all safe and sound," Mrs Hudson said softly. "He's more than capable of taking care of himself, you know."

Holmes turned once more to refute her unspoken claim he missed the good doctor, but one glance at her face told him he would be wasting his breath. Sighing, he slumped into the chair by his desk.

"I would never have believed I was capable of…missing anybody," he replied, staring absently at the floor. "And while I know Watson is a survivor above all other things, I cannot help but feel this whole business will end in tragedy, though whether it will be ours or Sir Henry Baskerville's, I cannot say."

"We've grown rather used to the good doctor being around, hasn't we, Mr Holmes?" the landlady asked, her tone almost amused.

"Indeed we have, Mrs Hudson." He looked up at her. "It would certainly appear so. Sometimes I wonder what we would do without him," the detective replied.

"And have you come up with a satisfactory answer?"

Holmes smiled briefly. "No." He almost sounded disappointed.

Mrs Hudson smiled back. "Eat your dinner, Mr Holmes," she told him. "Dr Watson will be back before you know it."

"Thank you, Mrs Hudson." But Holmes didn't rise, only turned back to the window. The landlady sighed softly and made to leave the room. "Mrs Hudson!"

"Yes, Mr Holmes?"

"Would you care to join me?" he asked, smiling once more.

"Why, thank you, Mr Holmes. That's very kind of you."

*Ten minutes later….*

"I will be glad when Dr Watson returns!" Mrs Hudson cried as she stormed form the room. "How he puts up with you, I shall never know! He should be worthy of sainthood when he dies!"

"My dear woman, I cannot imagine why you are so upset," Holmes said.

Mrs Hudson turned, brandishing her fork in a lethal sort of way. "You may say what you want, Mr Holmes, but you do *not* insult my cooking!" And with that, she stomped off down the stairs.

In the living room, Holmes allowed himself a grin. Watson may have been away, but it was good to know things still carried on as normal in his absence.

FIN


End file.
